Fangio on illegal hits: ‘They should be fining the QB’

Vic Fangio may not agree with Donte Whitner’s pending name change, but he does see eye-to-eye with his safety when it comes to NFL officials and illegal hits.

Today, the 49ers defensive coordinator said the league has instructed officials to err on the side of caution when it comes to illegal blows, resulting in too many penalties for hits that are within the rules. Whitner, who has been flagged for illegal hits the past two weeks, was fined $21,000 on Tuesday. In Week 3, he was penalized for using the crown of his helmet, but the NFL later deemed it was a legal hit and he wasn’t fined.

“They need to err on the correct side, not on the safe side,” Fangio said. “Because if it is an illegal hit, the guy will get fined on Monday or Tuesday. If you miss it as an official, that doesn’t mean that it’s over and done with.”

Tongue in cheek – I think – Fangio proposed that the league start levying fines on offensive players. Namely, quarterbacks.

“I’ve always said when they’re fining these people for these hits they should be fining the quarterback for throwing these guys into those big hits,” Fangio said. “…The part that’s hard about it all is the league has instructed officials to err on the side of caution, so they’re going to throw the flag no matter what.”

Last week, Whitner was flagged — and ultimately fined — for his shoulder-to-helmet blow on Rams wideout Chris Givens, who was considered a “defenseless receiver.” Givens leapt for a would-be 12-yard touchdown catch and Whitner dislodged the ball as Givens was on his way down. Whitner earned the fine for drilling Givens in the facemask.

“The angles I’ve seen so far, it looked like a good play,” Fangio said. “He did not lead with his head. It looked to me like he jolted the guy pretty good with his shoulder and the guy’s head snapped because of the impact of the hit, which made it look like an illegal hit. So they throw the flag.”

Whitner, who is appealing his $21,000 fine, prides himself on clean play and is pushing back against his recent penalties. This week, he announced, on Twitter, that he’s selling T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase “#LegalHitner.” He’s also sent in paperwork to legally change his last name to “Hitner,” a move that he said can be interpreted as a form of protest.

Asked about Whitner’s name change, Fangio smiled, “He did not consult me before he made that decision.”